wishful thinking

noun

: the attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true or the tenuous justification of what one wants to believe

Examples of wishful thinking in a Sentence

The idea that the enemy will immediately surrender is nothing more than wishful thinking.

Recent Examples on the Web

At some point, ‘adjusted’ starts sounding like wishful thinking. —Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025

The idea that Dallas will find a quality starter on the street or from the group mentioned is wishful thinking. —Jon MacHota, New York Times, 29 July 2025

And Trump’s pitch of bringing back manufacturing jobs for American workers is wishful thinking. —Devashish Mitra, Time, 28 July 2025

The seductive rhetoric of Trump tariffs hides a combination of contradictions, wishful thinking, and superficial understanding of economics, which sells America a mirage and threatens to weaken the stability of the global trading system. —Devashish Mitra, Time, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wishful thinking

• interlinking
• blinking
• clinking
• drinking
• inking
• kinking
• linking
• shrinking
• sinking
• slinking
• stinking
• winking